Friday, October 5

Red Lentil Soup and Rainy Days (Rainy Minutes Anyway)

One day last week I woke up with a dull ache in my knee. I turned to Jeff and said, “It’s going to rain today.” "Susan, it hasn’t rained here in like 235 days. It's not gonna rain today,” he replied. “My knee is aching," I said. "It’s gonna rain today."

I know almost every time it's going to rain. It's not superstition; it's knee surgery. Believe me when I tell you, my knee is as accurate in predicting rain as the Doppler 5000.

Later that morning we got into the car to go the the gym, and it happened. Rain.

I excitedly flipped on the windshield wipers -- I had purchased new ones the day before Easter and hadn't used them yet. Like two little kids, we were entranced by the blades slapping away the rain in efficient strokes. It was a satisfying a moment, really. Not five minutes later we were rudely interrupted by the vibrating, whooping sound of new wipers dragging across a dry windshield.

It’s hard to fathom how a place as lush with flora and vegetation as Southern California could be so dry. Incredibly, the average rainfall in San Diegois just 7 inches -- we used to get 7 inches on any given weekend in North Carolina.

While life without rain has its distinct advantages, sometimes I just long for a rainy day. We had some Ballykissangel to watch, some magazines to catch up on, and, of course, some soup to make. Because what’s a chilly, rainy day without a good bowl of steaming hot soup?

The all too brief interlude of rain didn't deter us. We savored a few episodes of Ballykissangel, made it through at least a third of our magazine pile, and enjoyed some wholesome red lentil mulligatawny with apple-celery salsa.

The recipe is adapted from an original in Cooking Light. The zesty, crunchy apple-celery salsa contrasts pleasingly with the smooth, creamy lentils. I adjusted the soup by sauteing the onions for added depth and mixing in some extra seasonings--the cinnamon in particular lends a lovely sweet, aromatic touch. Made with creamy coconut milk, this is a warming, savory soup perfect for a rainy day. Or a chilly day. Or a windy day. Or a sunny day.

For soup: Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; sauté until golden, about 3-5 minutes. Add lentils and water; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 12-15 minutes or until lentils are tender. Pour half of the lentil mixture in a blender; let stand for 5 minutes (so the soup will cool and not cause the cover to pop off!) Pour pureed lentil mixture into a bowl, and repeat process with the remaining half of lentil mixture. Once the soup is blended, return to the pan; add coconut milk, ginger, cumin, turmeric, coriander, cayenne, and cinnamon; stir well. Cover and simmer for about 5-10 minutes or until thoroughly heated through. Remove from heat; stir in the lime juice and season with salt. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with some salsa.

LOL!! You are telling me! We are -12" of rain this year in NC. It literally rained for mins here on Friday after 3 mnts of 97F heat. It's really terrible, doesn't feel like Fall at all.No Fall colors either so far.Love the Lentil soup, pretty color. We call it Masoor dal.I made a whole Lentil salad at Aroma.Salsa sounds yummy:)

We haven't had much rain here in RI lately, but I would miss rainy days if I lived in a dry place. Rainy days mean soup and stews, good books to read and movies to watch, and long naps. This soup is definitely going on my list of recipes to make -- whenever the rain comes.

Looks delicious, as usual. Here's a question: do you have any good Indian recipes? With my parents living there now it's got me more interested in the cuisine and I'd love to try something from someone whose food I trusted.

I have to say, I'm a big fan of weather over climate. Even for the inconveniences it sometimes creates timingwise, I love a good rainstorm. Of course, when it gets to be mid-February here in Chicago, don't quote me on being a fan of weather.

This is a lovely take on lentil soup, by the way, Susan. A nice Indian flair, with the spices and coconut milk. The salsa gives it a nice crunch--I might consider reserving some of the lentils when I puree it to give it even a little more texture.

this is a really nice way of serving the lentils. We usually just make Dal from these lentils which is locally called Spilt Masoor Dal.I really like the variation of the apple salsa which would really add texture to the dal. Will have to give this a try.

Lentils are probably the easiest legume to work with; they cook up really fast. I've had mulligatawny with apples and celery pureed in the mix, but not as a crunchy complement. This is a nice twist to a classic recipe.

yeah, rainy days... I can't symathize with your lack of rain in south cali... you know I live in Seattle :( ... u can have our rain anytime... The soup looks perfect for a rainy day... and the knee thing is soooo funny... you should be on discovery channel, or may be America's got talent? ;)

That's so cool..I have you bookmarked and come here once in a while, so I'm not a follower - per se. But I love your style of writing, your recipes (the first one I read was the broccoli/pasta one)..and I love rain too!!

I've been living in SD for the last 10 years and I miss the rain too. :))

It's been cold this weekend and I've just ordered Book of Soups: More than 100 Recipes for Perfect Soups (Culinary Institute of America), but I'll definetely keep an wye for your soups ideas.

LOVE lentils of all sorts--- I have a big tub of green ones in my pantry right now waiting for a rainy day (we're in a drought here in CT!). I'll have to run out and get some red---haven't used that variety in awhile. I eat the brown sort a few times a week as a cold salad----do you think these would work in that manner---or are they too soft and might fall apart?

Sig-You're so sweet. Thanks! And I'll take a little bit of your rain, but not too much. I've gotten used to not carrying an umbrella, you know. ;)

Veronica-Red lentils are a nice change from brown sometimes.I swear the knee thing is true! :)

Bri-Hi! It's so nice to meet you too. I hope you try the soup; it's just right for the cooler weather we've been having. And thanks for visiting. It's always a pleasure to meet new readers. Hope you drop by again. :)

Jyothsna-I guess it is really like a curry. I'd love to try a bowl of yours though! :)

The Secret Ingredient-No, I think brown could work. Red are quickest cooking and softest lentils, so if you made it with brown, I'd cook them longer, like 35-40 minutes or until tender. The red just seem to go better with the Indian flavors and the coconut milk, but I don't see it wouldn't work with another type. Good luck! :)

Pille-I love to say it too! :) It's so easy and delicious; I do hope you give it a try!

Mmmm, I love red lentils. I was astonished when I first discovered I liked something so darn HEALTHY! I sometimes cook them together with green lentils to make a lentil stew that is at once goopy and chewy. Works beautifully :)